Tim Höttges, CEO of Deutsche Telekom, stated that the announced mobile plans of Elon Musk must be taken extremely seriously. Speaking to the broadcasters RTL and ntv, Höttges emphasized that Telekom is a major player in the United States, citing the company’s status as the leading carrier in the American mobile network market. He noted that if Musk establishes himself as a fourth major competitor in the US market, he will naturally attempt to gain market share.
Höttges cautioned that building a high-performance mobile network requires massive amounts of capital, noting that even though “it is a great company with great entrepreneurs,” such networks cannot be built without significant funding. He pointed out that Telekom has already invested over 200 billion in the U.S. and expects Musk to commit a similar amount.
The Telekom chief stressed the imperative for the company not to underestimate the competition posed by Musk. He drew a parallel to the German automotive industry and its handling of Tesla. “Frankly, we must take this competition seriously,” he stated, adding, “And I tell you, I won’t miss what happened in the automotive industry-failing to recognize the Tesla moment.”
Höttges announced that Telekom intends to respond aggressively to the new competitive landscape. His future strategy will involve proactively looking at combining traditional mobile networks with satellite technology. He concluded by reaffirming their dedication: “I take him more seriously than I take him lightly, and I will do everything so that the terrestrial service-combined, of course, with satellites in the future-is delivered by Telekom. That is why we are taking it seriously.”
